PRONOUNCE’s folkloric utopia pushes the boundaries of contemporary menswear for SS22
Transporting audiences from Asia to Area 51, PRONOUNCE are running circles around conventional gender binaries with their futuristic collection this season.
DESIGNER: PRONOUNCE
SEASON: Spring/Summer 2022
EVENT: London Fashion Week
LOCATION: Garden of Salters Hall, Barbican
If PRONOUNCE’s SS22 collection was anything to go by, our wardrobes have been missing one essential item – yeti slippers. The bouncing, be-furred footwear descended down the open-air runway on Tuesday, held in the idyllic gardens of Salters Hall in East London. Through cratered surfaces, geometric references and architectural silhouettes, brand founders Yushan Li and Jun Zhou brought a folkloric fever dream to life.
Known for exploring the intersection between eastern and western influences, the brand was inspired by the concept of circles for this collection and what the shape signifies in different cultures. Titled Circular, the collection was infused with philosophical commentary regarding the multi-faceted function of circles in society. Li and Zhou drew from a plethora of circular entities, including ceramics, planets, haloes, ripples and blood cells: “The circle is an exploration: the circle is a rift to discover a new realm. Through round telescopes, magnifying glass...people understand that the macroscopic world we live in is the microscopic world.” In short, trypophobes – look away now.
An extensive line-up of psychedelic checkerboard knits, tie dye two-sets and puckered cargo pants were presented within the white stone crenellations of the sunken medieval site. The extra-terrestrial undertones of the collection were enhanced by fossil-like bags, metallic clasps and silver coiled neck pieces. Dulcet sounds of Chinese percussion and birdsong referenced the design duo’s heritage, while demonstrating the versatility of diasporic style identities. Masculine forms such as boxy shorts, suit blazers and waistcoats merged with scooped necklines, tunics and hot pink colour palettes to create a genderless aesthetic for all to enjoy.
PRONOUNCE give weight to mindful fashion. The show, which was also live-streamed courtesy of SHOWstudio, is testament to fashion’s poetic capabilities. In an age of intensifying consumer culture, PRONOUNCE’s cerebral approach to clothing construction is a breath of fresh air – and a blueprint for the future of mindf*ck fashion.
The pan-cultural collection is an optimistic step for British design talent. With their punctured patterns and exuberant youthquake sensibilities, PRONOUNCE are colouring the London fashionscape. Existentialist vibes, sixties shapes and purple yeti creps – what more could we ask for?
Images courtesy of PRONOUNCE.
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